November 29, 2011 1:35 pm

No, I will not vote for an increase in the sales tax. First, it is the most regressive tax out there. Second, our wonderful legislators just voted to give a $42 million bailout to Wenatchee for an arena with one hand, while cutting support of schools and needed services for the poor with the other.

Now, if our enlightened reps could find the courage to revamp our tax system and include a progressive income tax, I’d dance to the polls to vote yes. At last the rich would be returning their fair share to the public coffers.

Feeds

Does that mean that you like all of these government programs but you just would rather someone else would pay for them?

Many of the “rich” and public school teachers send their kids to private schools. They also pay property taxes to support schools for the poor. Should they have to pay even more to educate your children?

By the way. How much of their income is enough for the rich to pay? 50%? 75% what number will you say is fair. Hitler and the Germans just took property and businesses away. Is that what you want?

This state has plenty of money. Not a penny from me until they make major reforms and cut waste and fraud. I do everything I can to avoid sales tax, you should too, it’s your duty to starve state government into making reforms. Plus if the tribes don’t pay tax why should we?

Will someone in the media challenge the Gov. on changing her agreement with the tribes where she got $650,000 in donations in exchange for allowing the tribal casinos to PAY NO TAX!!!!!

She could get $100 millon a year from them if she wanted to. But instead she puts fear into you to let her raise sales tax in the name of the children and old folks. Well someone please throw the BS flag on her. Read this,

Will someone in the media challenge the Gov. on changing her agreement with the tribes where she got $650,000 in donations in exchange for allowing the tribal casinos to PAY NO TAX!!!!!

She could get $100 millon a year from them if she wanted to. But instead she puts fear into you to let her raise sales tax in the name of the children and old folks. Well someone please throw the BS flag on her. Read this,

Calcan2
Corporations pay sales tax on things that they buy. They pay property taxes on the buildings that they use. They pay B and O taxes on what they sell. They also pay workman’s comp fees. Their emplyees pay property taxes and sales taxes with earning that they get from their pay checks. What else would you like them to pay?

Only an ignorant buffoon would propose an income tax.
The sales tax is by far the most equitable tax as you are only taxed when you spend money. There is no punishment for working overtime. Rich people spend more and thus pay more in tax.
Cutting spending and forcing elected idiots to live within the budget makes much more sense.

Peg, you must be one of “those” that live on the people that do pay tax which “the rich” pay plenty. I will never understand the philosophy from people like you that keep saying the rich should pay more, or is it that you live off others and the government and want more “stuff”? The one cut I would like to make is the politicians huge salaries and also that they have to live with the laws they pass, ie: health care, retirements, ridiculous perks, etc., etc.
Taxedenough brought up a great point where the tribes are concerned. Why in hell don’t they have to pay tax? Oh, I know, it’s because our ancesters took their land. Boohoo – cultures through out history have done the same thing but our bleeding heart society thinks that we should keep paying them for what we took. No one really owns the land any way if you think about it.

Paul Krugman is simply a sock-puppet for the left’s political agenda.
Citing him as a reason to install income taxes in Washington shows what a wonderfully open-minded person you have become.
Maybe some day when you grow up and actually start a business of your own, actually hire people to work for you, and learn to deal with all of the government impediments to growing your business, you will become more literate and rational in your sources.

How about parents start paying dollar for dollar for their own kids education. How did your bad parenting and inability to tutor your kids become my tax burdon. Walk to school. Buy your own books like European schools. Get rid of the tv, the game boy, the computer, and all the junk and start paying for a tutor. Our country is full of irreponsible youth and citizens expecting the 50% who pay taxes to pay for every darn thing. I suppose it’s now our fault for you to eat doritos and get fat while blaming the 99% too. America once had work ethic. We need to gain it back starting with the adults!

You must be too young to remember to recession following 9/11/2001.
Bush’s tax cuts minimized the damage to our economy from the world trade center disaster.
Or Reagan’s tax cuts that brought us back from the Jimmie Carter economic debacle.
But keep drinking the Kool Aid; I wouldn’t want to confuse you with facts and upset your carefully memorized party talking points.

Sales tax is a consumer tax; everyone has to eat, buy clothes, etc and it is fairly applied to all.

We all have seen that less than half of Americans pay any income tax. That is wrong. Everyone – everyone – needs to pay something, even if it’s only a dollar. I say this because we currently have half the Americans supporting themselves and everyone else. Yet, all Americans benefit by driving or riding or walking on public built roads and sidewalks. Everyone uses the water, electricity, and other infrastructure that taxes off-set.

I don’t know the answer except maybe a flat tax – but everyone needs to pay something. Handing Chris, who never yet actually cut the budget (just promises of no future “planned” spending)more revenue is not the answer yet.

I suppose an income tax would be equitable if it was a flat rate that everyone paid. That wouldn’t be “progressive” and probably wouldn’t fly.

What would fly is a system where those using the services extracted money from others. To complete the circle those using the services would elect to office people who would increase those services to remain in office . . . That would work until the entire system went broke.

I firmly believe everybody needs to bring something to the table, but maybe for some it’s not money. It really doesn’t make sense for us to tax welfare and food stamps since we’d just have to increase benefits to make up for what was paid in taxes. My proposal is that anybody who is not paying a certain amount (you guys can fight over the number) in income taxes has to contribute with community service. So if you receive $300 per month in food stamps, and the income tax on that would be $45 if it were earned income, then you owe your community ($45 / $8.67/hr) 5.19 hours of community service that month. You can’t get your next months’ benefits until you’ve served what you owe.

The top 10% of wage earners in this country pay 52% of all the taxes taken in by the IRS. 47% of the population pay no income tax at all. How can you deal with the OWS and the protestors in Olympia who covet the possessions of others. Their intent is to take from others even if they have to beat them over the head to take it. The class warfare instigated by the President himself ” to make the rich pay their fair share” is divisive and deplorable. In last night’s paper an article cited over 2200 unused state cell phones were costing over $500,000.00/year. Can you spell government waste??? And don’t get me started on the 2.4 million dollars spent on Tacoma’s famous drunk!!!!

Taxedenough
“The state has enough money”??? No, there is a shortfall. You just keep dreaming that there iss still so many places to cut the “fat”. Read the news, they have been cutting meat and bone.

PumainTacoma
“Studens should but their ow books like Europe”? Why, did YOU but your own books? It is the duty of the state to educate students. The poor cold not afford books so should they just not be educated?

Fibo, yes we purchased books in Europe. And those that were classified as low income were given books to use. But my family buys books for kids every year when we pay our taxes. Why should every taxpayer pay for books every year, even for those parents that can afford to pay for their kids books, and the lost or damaged books? Why should we pay for your kids to take the bus to school? Then you wonder why Europe spends less per pupil than the USA. Because in Europe money goes directly for teaching.

flakoja6, wrote: “The top 10% of wage earners in this country pay 52% of all the taxes taken in by the IRS. 47% of the population pay no income tax at all.”

First, this is a blog about state tax, and everyone in this state pays tax because we have a sales tax, and eventually everyone has to but something, even the bum who buys his fortified wine from the money he begs.

Second, here’s one of those who doesn’t pay income tax. GM which will get a $45 BILLION DOLLAR Tax Break over the next few years. Read al about it in the WSJ link below…

Fib — I’d argue that the duty of the state is not to educate students but instead to provide educational opportunities. The difference being that it is the responsibilty of the student to take advantage of the opportunities being offered and therefore the success or failure of the student in being educated is up to the student himself.

We need to stop moving away from the concept of personal responsibility. Someday today’s youngsters will be senior citizens and their mothers probably won’t be around to do every little thing for them.

Soundlife says, “Paul Krugman is simply a sock-puppet for the left’s political agenda.”
Well, soundlife, I guess that makes us pretty smart to choose an accomplished economist. How do you feel about Mr. Joseph Stiglitz? We like him too.

“We hope our taxes continue to rise in the future — it will mean we are prospering — but we also hope that the rest of corporate America antes up along with us,” said Buffett, who has previously criticized Bush administration tax policy.

The issue is not that he himself wants to pay higher taxes… go for it. But he is volunteering others to join him… that is not his call to make though he has every right to say it.

A good start would be for Buffet to show how much he truly pays the federal govt in the NYT. He lied to the public. Period.

The great investor with a liberal philosophy sold some BS. When will one of the left on this board stop using him as a talking point and admit he lied, or at a minimum told a half-truth?

I am pro-choice, pro-state, anti-public sector union, pro-defense, pro-family, but above all advocate for a stronger America. Individuals have a responsibilty to themselves and the law. Not that hard to be honest.

The economy as the left wants it did not build the country we have today. They are leading us away from greatness, and it is scary. Right now the man at the top is leading a partisan, biased charge, an it effects us all.

For all people who keep referring to “fairness” of taxes and “taking other people’s money”, please take a moment and read about the case for progressive taxes.

Please remember that a lot of people perceive their wellbeing through the wellbeing of the society as a whole, and not only by what they can personally afford. There is no respect for “eff you, I got mine” types.

The hallmark of a great society is when ALL members of that society contribute to its well being. Each working to the best of ones ability and in turn enjoying the fruits of one success.

I have no problem contributing an increasing share of my wealth as my hard, smart efforts are rewarded. I do have a problem contributing my increasing share when the government mis-spends the money entrusted to it.

Also my ever increasing wealth can never provide for enough members of this still great nation if they choose not to contribute to the cost of the administration of this great nation.

roussir, have you ever researched how much money has been spent on the “war on poverty”, and how all that money has impacted poverty ? It’s pretty interesting.

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